Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Classical Underground was founded on the spirit and synergy of uniting a community of Art in painting and music. If there is a musical composition that most clearly embodies this spirit, it would be Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," written to commemorate the paintings of his dear artist friend, Viktor Hartmann.

For our December program, Mikael Oganes will play selections from this great virtuoso suite while surrounded by an Exhibition of Pictures selected by our dear friend Jeremy Lipking from a recent show of excellent artists at his studio (see Artist Showcase notes below).

We welcome for the first time to Classical Underground the outstanding violist Victor de Almeida, who will be joined by Mikael Oganes in some festive Piazolla tangos.

Michael Kaufman Ran Kampel

Christopher Goodpasture

Also making their CU debut from USC's Thornton School of Music, performing the Beethoven Clarinet Trio, are Christopher Goodpasture - piano, Michael Kaufman - cello, and Ran Kampel - clarinet.

Steven Vanhauwaert Danny Holt

And a demi-debut: pianist Steven Vanhauwaert, who played at our Levitt Pavilion outing in Pasadena last summer, will be joined by fellow pianist Danny Holt in fanciful duos by Igor Stravinsky and Alfredo Casella.

Noel Gould

If youare a hardcore Undergrounder who sticks around for our decadent after-party bachanals, you know that our awesome recording engineer Noel Gould is himself also a wonderful pianist. For this program we have finally enticed him to share some Chopin in primetime, and of course after-party as well!

Laurence Vittes

Journalist and CU comrade Laurence Vittes is introducing a classical music writing workshop "How To Write About Classical Music Without Becoming A Critic" with a free trial for CU guest, with a post-concert discussion which will start right after the concert (just meet at the bar).

Steinway CD587

A very important member of our December 19th event is Steinway CD587! It is one of the favorite pianos in the Concert & Artist Department. It was recently used for a recording session featuring singer, songwriter Melody Gardot. CD587 has been described by pianists as having a medium bodied tone with excellent sustain. The piano's action is firm without being heave.

In the spirit of Christmas, we would appreciate if you could please bring an unwrapped toy for our good friends and neigbbors Glory Christian International Church's toy drive in support of their extensive work with underprivileged inner city children.

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As always - bring your spirits, food and drink for you and your friends to enjoy. Please RSVP via Paypal (above). We are sold out. The paypal link is removed.

Mission Statement

We feel THAT what is missing the most in today’s world. In great debate weather ART has a future in a commercialized world of ours, we say ART is the Future.

It has to be ART, though true and pure, to make it through. Gone is the tiring age of fake, pump and pretense. Gone are the murky waters. All else stripped – ART stands in all its naked Relevance.

We believe in ART. Not as just another way of making a living, but as the very Way of Life.

We are the Underground and we stand in a subversive opposition to all and every accepted tacitly way the commercially driven society treats ART. We consider ART being a form of ultimate subversion in a greed-glorifying world and we argue a singular importance of ART outside commercialism and corrupt institutionalism within the society in crisis.

ART shall bring back what bankers had stolen from the society – the common purpose being anything else other than militant, blatant greed.

We are Classical and we stand on the shoulders of combined labor and sacrifice of cultural giants humanity managed to produce despite all its shortfalls and who were able to surpass all constraints of time and fads of the moment. The essence of their timeless creations, which is pure and true ART, stands as final testimony to in-suppressible powers of human spirit bearing extreme relevance to our time.

We stand in firm belief in fresh vitality and visceral strength of Classical, Humanistic in nature, content, philosophy and worldview for our truly modern audiences and viewers.

We are there to support and to amplify the voice of anyone across disciplines who we think is instrumental in this process.

With the Clarity of Intent we will find new ways ART can sustain itself and expand in these troubled times as Artists - some of true Heroes of Society - shall be able to enjoy the fruits of their intense, hard labor and sacrifice which is a pure Labor of Love. To that end we all work and contribute in a collaborative spirit in name of ART and Friendship. We will do everything to share ART and spread the word, as ART is the ever-flaming torch in a society facing Storm.